Comparison

Alchemy Lab vs Element

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both games, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Alchemy Lab

Combine elements like fire and water to discover new ones in this relaxing puzzle game. Experiment with over 60 elements and 100 recipes in a pressure-free environment. Unlock a hidden workshop and track your progress in a cozy creative space.

Highlights
  • Combine elements to discover new ones
  • Over 60 elements to uncover
  • 100+ recipes with multiple paths
  • Unlockable hidden workshop
  • Tinkerer's Journal for progress tracking
  • Ambient sound and gentle haptics
Features
Read full description

What happens when fire meets water? Something new. Alchemy Lab is a cozy discovery game where you combine elements to uncover what’s hidden beneath the surface. Start with four: Fire, Water, Earth, and Air - and experiment your way into a world that expands with every discovery. No timers. No pressure. No wrong answers. Just a warm workbench… and your curiosity. HOW IT WORKS Pick two elements. Place them on the workbench. Tap Combine. If something new emerges, you’ve made a discovery. If not, the workbench gently encourages you to keep exploring. Every discovery expands your collection and opens new paths forward. Some combinations feel obvious. Others reveal themselves slowly. The best ones feel like you found them, not followed them. WHAT YOU’LL FIND • 60+ elements to uncover across evolving tiers • 100+ recipes with multiple paths to discovery • A hidden workshop that unlocks as you go deeper • Timed transmutation for rare, higher-tier elements • A Tinkerer’s Journal to track your progress • Flavor text that gives each element its own voice • Gentle haptics and animations that make every interaction feel satisfying • Ambient sound that deepens as your journey unfolds DESIGNED TO FEEL GOOD Alchemy Lab isn’t a race. It’s a place. A quiet, creative space where ideas come together and small moments of discovery feel meaningful. There’s no punishment for trying something new. No pressure to optimize your path. Just a system that rewards curiosity… and waits patiently for your next idea. BUILT FOR DISCOVERY Some players think logically. Some experiment freely. Alchemy Lab supports both. Multiple recipes can lead to the same result, so there’s no single “correct” path. Your journey unfolds in your own way, shaped by the choices you make along the way. MORE TO COME There is more to this place. New elements, recipes, and systems are already in development. Complete the current collection to catch a glimpse of what’s being crafted next. Built with care by a solo developer at Forgebound Labs.

About

Element

Strategically stack elemental blocks to build the tallest tower possible. Master the five elements and their interactions to achieve perfect drops and chain combos. Compete in timed battles and climb the ranks to become an Element Master.

Highlights
  • Five-element strategy
  • Timing-based stacking
  • Rhythm bonuses and combos
  • Rising speed challenges
  • 20-second Battle Mode
  • 11 competitive ranks
  • Global leaderboards
Features
Read full description

Simple choices. Deep strategy. How high can you build before it all comes crashing down? Drop blocks. Master the five elements. Stack your tower to the sky. STACK. MATCH. CLIMB. Every block you drop is a choice. Fire, Water, Earth, Metal, Wood — each one feeds another, and each one overcomes another. Choose the right relationship, and your tower rises. Choose wrong, and everything comes tumbling down. Time your drop for a PERFECT. Keep the rhythm to chain combos. And the higher you climb, the faster it gets... until there's no time left to think. BUILD FAST. THEN BATTLE. In Battle Mode, you have 20 seconds to build. Then the towers clash — and your elemental strategy decides who's left standing. 11 RANKS. ONE ELEMENT MASTER. Bronze → Silver → Gold → Platinum → Emerald → Diamond → Master → Grand Master → Legend → Element → Element Master Only a few will reach the top. Will you? ■ FEATURES - Five-element strategy — feeding and overcoming cycles change every move - Timing-based stacking with PERFECT drops, rhythm bonuses and combos - Rising speed — the higher you go, the faster you must decide - Battle Mode — build in 20 seconds, then clash - 11 ranks from Bronze to Element Master - Global, country and city leaderboards - Unlockable UI and game themes Easy to learn. Hard to master. One block can change your record. Start stacking.

Screenshots

Alchemy Lab4 screens
Element4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Element at none against Alchemy Lab's 2. Element also leads on ads (none vs shown) and iOS requirement (16.1 vs 26.2). On price, rating, ratings volume and update cadence there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Alchemy Lab sells 2 one-off in-app purchases. Element asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 5.0 for Alchemy Lab against 5.0 for Element. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 2 and 1 respectively.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Alchemy Lab ships an update weekly, Element every 6 days. The most recent releases landed on October 31, 2026 and November 1, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
Alchemy Lab versus Element: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterAlchemy LabElement
PriceFreeFree
Rating5.0 (2 ratings)5.0 (1 ratings)
Positive reviews—100.0% of reviews
Number of ratings2 — better1
Update frequencyWeeklyEvery 6 days — better
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationAd-supportedFree — better
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad
Requires iOS26.216.1 — better
Further details — not scored
Size70 MB48 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperBrandon BlaisdellGaon Ahn

Customer experience

Alchemy Lab

All ratings1 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

Element

All ratings1 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews5 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

2 purchases

Alchemy Lab

One-time2
  • Extra Workshop Slot$1.99
  • Remove Ads$4.99
None

Element

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Alchemy Lab free?
Alchemy Lab is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Element free?
Element is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Alchemy Lab or Element?
Alchemy Lab and Element are both rated 5.0 out of 5 on the App Store, from 2 and 1 ratings respectively.
Do Alchemy Lab or Element have ads?
Alchemy Lab shows ads; Element does not.
Which is updated more often, Alchemy Lab or Element?
Alchemy Lab ships an update weekly, and Element every 6 days. Most recently, Alchemy Lab was updated on October 31, 2026 and Element on November 1, 2026.

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